The Crime in the Painting
by anatats89
Summary: A new case takes the squint squad all the way across the pond. Will they discover the mysteries of a painting? Will they catch their murderer?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! I know I'm still writing the other storie, "Believe it or not, she's my favourite addiction", but I couldn't get this out of my head. I hope you like it. I promise I'll keep updating the other one.**

**Fox ownes Bones, not me.**

**The Crime in the Painting**

**Chapter 1-let's focus, shall we?**

_My name is Kathy Reichs. I'm five-five, feisty, and forty-plus. Multidegreed. Overworked. Underpaid._

_Dying._

_I'm a forensic anthropologist. I know death. It stalks me. This is my story…_

-Chop, chop Bones! We've got a case!

The forensic anthropologist and Best-selling author, Temperance Brennan smiled as she heard her partner's voice in the room. She smiled even more when she saw the special agent's charming smile. They looked at each other for a while, and then she broke the silence.

-Just a minute, I'll just save this.

-Yeah, sure- Booth said- Here, I brought you coffee.

-Thank you.

-Hey, I know that stunned look on your face, you're writing another book! Am I on it?

-No!

-What, you're not putting Ryan on this one?

-Booth, you're not Ryan!!

-Off course I am, who else could it be? I mean it's obvious that I'm the sexy FBI agent.

-Booth, you know my books are all fiction, so you're not Ryan.

-Oh come on Bones, when are you going to admit, I was your inspiration to create Ryan? Let me see.

-Booth, no!

But it was too late. Booth was already reading amazed, until Bones covered the screen with her hands.

-That's useless Bones, I've already read everything! And by the way, you're not dying!

-Booth, for the record, my books are fiction, so it's not me, it's Kathy. And scientifically speaking, it makes sense that she's dying. Every day that passes by she gets older, closer to death.

- You know, your scientific explanation sounded so much like Bella Swan.

-Who's Bella Swan?

-Just forget it Bones, let's go, or we're going to be late.

As they walked out of her office, Booth grabbed her coat and put it on her.

-Where are we going anyway?

-To the crime scene.

Bones stopped walking and rolled her eyes.

- I meant the place. And how do you know it's a crime scene, if you haven't seen the victim yet? Only if the victim was shot, which we don't know yet, because we haven't even see it!

-Hey sweetie!

-What is it Ange?

-Okay, good morning to you too sweetie.-Angela said- Did you woke up with the left food today?

-I don't know.-Brennan said confused- I usually don't look at my feet when I wake up.

Angela sighed.

-Right. What's wrong with you today?

-Booth read my manuscript

-Oh, come on Bones! It was just the first paragraph

-You are writing another book? –Angela smiled- Do I still want to have sex with Booth?

-Can we just focus on the case? Where are we going?

-I already told you Bones, we're going to the crime scene.

-You know, that's the reason you're not Ryan.

-So you're admitting I inspired you to create Ryan, but there are some reasons that make you think otherwise. But I could be Ryan

Angela smiled again. The smile she has when she discovers something about her best friend's relationships.

-No! I'm just telling you the truth, he's much smarter than you, and you're not a sexy FBI agent!

-Ouch that hurt! Take it easy Bones, geez…. But I know one day you are going to have to admit it's me.

-No I won't

-You two look so hot when you're fighting .

- Whatever you say Bones-Booth said ignoring Angela- But everything happens eventually

-I don't know what that means

-You'll have to find it out for yourself

Brennan rolled her eyes again.

-Let's focus, shall we?

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It was a cold winter day of December. The streets where full of snow on Washington DC. The kids were playing outside with snowballs, making snowmen or ice-skating. None of them wondered what was about to happen on Wind Chime Lane.

Harry, Taylor, Karen and Joe were riding home after a big party. Harry was the designated driver, while the other three where still sort of drunk. Harry never drank, his dad was a drunk, and that was enough alcohol for him.

Taylor and Joe were making out on the backseat, both of them completely drunk. Karen was supposed to be the co-pilot, but instead of helping Harry, she was kneeling on the front seat with her seat belt off.

-Yahooooo!!!!

- Karen, seat down and put your seat belt on

-Oh come on Harry, who are you, my father?

-Karen, please, if the police sees us….

-So Harry, what do you think about Joe and me?- Taylor said

-About you two being together?

-Yeah

Harry looked at them on the mirror, and stopped focusing on the driving

-Well you're kind of….

-HARRY WATCH OUT!!!

Harry focused again there was a tree in front of them. He tried to stop, but it was already too late.

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-Booth if you knew it was a recent car accident with no dead victims, why did you bring me here?

The partners had arrived to what Booth had called the "Crime Scene". But it didn't look like a crime scene at all. It was a car crash. They were surrounded by Police officers, firemen, and a couple of ambulances though. The sound of the kids having fun on the snow had been replaced by the sound of sirens.

-Bones, I didn't bring you here because of the car crash. Well actually, yes it was because of the car crash, but that's not the main reason of you being here. I think you might want to take a look at this.

Booth pointed down to the floor between the tree and the car. There it was: in the middle of the snow, laid a half broken skeleton. Bones looked at Booth and then, made an effort to kneel by the skeleton (the space between the tree and the car was really small)

-Male, Caucasian, aged between 18-25 years old. He was already dead before the car crash. The broken ribs indicate…

She stopped when she realized the victim had a gun on his hand.

-Booth, take a look at this.

-A gun? Was this a suicide?

-I don't know. I have to analyze these bones very well. It might be suicide, but I'm not sure, maybe he fell down from this tree, that explains the broken ribs, but the gun…I can't find any gunshot

-Okay, this is weird. Probably someone pulled down the guy from the tree and put the gun to make it look like a suicide, but he forgot that his victim wasn't shot. Or, the victim was going to suicide, but fell…

-Booth…

-What?

-There's something beneath him.

Beneath the skeleton, there was something that looked like a rectangular wooden structure covered with a cotton canvas. It was a painting, a ruined painting.

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**I know you want to click on the green button...come on give me your opinion, and I'll keep writing. All comments accepted**


	2. Chapter 2 The Museum in the Room

**Disclaimer: I do not own bones. I created the Botticelli family though, except Sandro Botticelli (obviously).**

**Chapter 2-The museum in the room**

-We have been told that a body was found on Wind Chime Lane, beneath a tree, in DC. Our reporter, Alexander Castel is on the crime scene right now. Alex.

-Yes that's right. A body was found exactly on this place, when a group of teen-agers crashed into this tree, and it has already been sent to the Jeffersonian Institute to be identified. The victim didn't belong to this group of teenagers, and according to the sources, a piece of what seemed to be a painting was found beneath the victim's remains. What seems strange about this painting is that a month ago, a painting in Italy-

.GOD- Angela said as she entered Brennan's office. Booth, and Brennan were watching the report of the new body found on Wind Chime Lane on the news.

-Ange, are you okay?

- I knew there was something weird about this case.

-Well besides the gun and the painting, what could be weirder?

-You know that thing of the painting?

-No, what painting?

-Whoa, you mean the painting that disappeared in Italy about a month ago?-Booth said when they started walking out of Brennan's office. Brennan looked at him surprised. When Booth saw her reaction he whispered: "That's what you get for not having a TV at home.

-Exactly, that painting.

-See Bones, sometimes I'm smarter than you.

Bones rolled her eyes and turned back to Angela.

-So what about the painting?

Angela stopped walking and turned to Booth and Brennan.

-I think we've found it.

-What? Are you saying that the painting we found beneath the remains of the victim is the same that disappeared a month ago in Italy?

As they entered Angela's office, the artist got more agitated.

-Yes, that's what I'm referring to. You see, when I was doing the sketch of the victim's face, I realized there was something familiar about this boy, but I didn't knew exactly what. And then I analyzed the painting and everything matched.

-What are you talking about Ange?

Angela took the drawing that was on her desk and showed it to them.

-This is our victim. His name is Andréa Botticelli, 19. He's American/Italian. The painting that disappeared was Primavera, by Sandro Botticelli.

-NO. WAY-Brennan said

Brennan's eyes were wide opened. On the other hand Booth was more confused than before.

-What's so weird about the victim's last name, and the author of the Primavera being the same? I mean he's Italian there must be a lot of Botticelli's in Italy.

-Actually, there's only one in the whole word, or at least it was, unless Andréa has more family, like younger brothers.

-Is this like a group or secret society?

-No, it's a nickname. Sandro Botticelli's real name was Alessandro di Mariano Filipeppi. Botticelli was his nickname for being fat. Botticello in English means bottle. I didn't know he used his nickname as an official name though.

-So in other words, Andrea Botticelli is the painter's great- great- great, like a hundred times grand- son.

-Yeah.

-Okay, let's go talk to his family then.

-Wait, what's going to happen with the painting? This was one of the best paintings of this artist.

Brennan sighed. -"This is going to be a very long case."-she said.

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The Botticelli Family

Ding Dong.

Brennan and Booth arrived to the Botticelli's home three hours later on that day. It had been very difficult to arrive in there because of the snow. They were standing on the entrance door.

The house was light peach and medium sized, one floor only, and a big garden with a small pool on the middle.

Suddenly the door was opened. A middle age woman appeared on the door. She was small, with red hair, and blue eyes. In other days, she would be good looking, but today the black bags that hanged beneath her eyes showed the opposite. She had been crying for days, since her son disappeared. Booth decided to talk first.

-Good Afternoon, Mrs. Botticelli?

-Yes?

-I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth-he said showing his ID- and this is Dr. Temperance Brennan from the Jeffersonian Institute. We're here to talk about your son.

-You found Andréa?-she said, and a small smile appeared on her face. Then she invited them in.-Where is he?

-I'm afraid, you'll have-

-There isn't enough from your son for you to see

-Bones!

-What do you mean? Is he…is he…

-We're sorry about your loss-Booth sighed

-No!!-she said and started crying. Booth and Bones watched her and suddenly they heard a little voice coming from the kitchen.

-Mom? Look it's snowing again!!

An eight year old girl appeared on the living room, hopping happily.

-Kelly, go to your room please.

-Who are they? –She said pointing at Booth and Bones

-We're from the FBI

-Really? Did you find my brother?

-Kelly, please, just go to your room!

-Mom what's wrong? Why are you angry at me?

-GO TO YOUR ROOM, NOW!

The gir went to her room and Mrs. Botticelli turned back to Brennan and Booth. Brennan started talking.

- Our forensic artist found out that your son is actually Sandro Botticelli's great -great -great- great- grand -son.

-Yes, that's right. Every artist knows Sandro Botticelli used his nickname as an artistic name, his real name was…

-Alessandro di Mariano Filippepi-Bones interrupted

-You studied art as well?

-Well not exactly, I'm a forensic anthropologist, but my IQ is 160…

-Wow, okay Bones, I'll take it from here. Mrs. Botticelli, do you know if anyone had anything against your son?

-No, my son was a great kid, everybody loved him. But when m husband died three years ago, from cancer he became a very shy boy. It was very difficult for him at the beginning, he even stopped painting, but then he let things go on and started to be the great kid he was.

-So, your son didn't show any symptoms of depression?

-No, of course not, why are you saying that?

-Because they found a gun, along with the remains of your son, which suggest…which suggest suicide.

-What? No! That's impossible, he couldn't, he was a happy kid, and a happy kid doesn't commit suicide. You should see his art-work, he was very talented, and it was in his blood.

Booth and Bones looked at each other, and stood up. Mrs. Botticelli led them to a door that was in the end of the corridor and opened it. A staircase came out.

-Wow, I thought the house had only one floor.

-It does, this is just the attic, which was my son's room. Come on in.

They climbed the stair-case and Mrs. Botticelli opened the other door that was on the top and they entered the room. Bones and Booth looked at it with their mouths wide opened. This was the coolest attic they had ever seen in their lives. It was really big for an attic. It looked like a museum and a boy's room at the same time. There were paintings hanging in all the walls. At the right there was another door, which was the bathroom. On the middle there was a wall that divided the whole room in two parts. On one side there was a closet, a bed, a mirror, posters, a dark puff; it was like a normal adolescent bedroom. And on the other side, there were two tables in L with all the things an artist could use, and more paintings. There was a wooden support for paintings, and an incomplete painting.

-Wow, your son made all of these?

-Yes, he always spent his time painting. It was his favorite thing to do.

- Mrs. Botticelli, when we found your son's remains, we also found a painting, a famous painting I believe. The "Primavera," does that have anything to do with your son's dead?

-Oh My God!-Mrs. Botticelli said covering her mouth with her hand. –I swear I didn't know anything about the painting. I suspected something was wrong with him though, after he came back from Italy.

-Your son went to Italy recently?

-Yes, he went on the spring break with a couple of friends.

-Would you mind in giving us their names?

-No, not at all.

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**you know what makes me upload more chapters? Lot's and lot's of reviews, so if you like it don't be afraid to comment about it.**


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